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More women in Congress, but not many more donors

A record number of women were elected to Congress in 2012, but there hasn't been a corresponding jump when it comes to female campaign donors. The non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics released a study

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A record number of women were elected to Congress in 2012, but there hasn't been a big jump when it comes to female campaign donors.

The non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics released a study Thursday that's chock full of data about the gender gap in campaign giving and other trends in sex, money and politics.

One finding: In 1990, there were 31 women serving in Congress and 22% of the campaign contributions of $200 or more came from women. Fast forward and there were 101 women in the House and Senate at the start of this Congress. But so far in the 2014 campaign cycle, donations from women account for 25% of the total, the report found.

President Obama has had an edge among female campaign donors going back to 2008 when he ran against John McCain. In the last election, 44% of Obama's campaign money came from women, compared with 28% for Romney, the report said.

• Female Democrats rely the most on female donors, while male Republicans are the least dependent on campaign cash from women.

• In the Senate, where a record 20 women now serve, four Democratic senators each received at least 40% of her campaign cash from women: Barbara Boxer of California, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

• Women who work outside of the home are donating more to Democrats. Nearly 60% of the donations from women who worked outside of home gave to Democrats, compared with 37% from homemakers. That's a five point drop for homemakers since 1990 -- and an 18-point jump for professional women -- according to the report.